Free Fighting Lesson With a Side Order of Defeat- Pickup Today
by Cara Lea
Summary: In which Yang challenges Blake in the gym and totally gets her butt kicked. Bonus points if bullying is included somehow, extra bonus if they break up a fight. Enjoy my fluffy adventures in bumbleby land! Since you can apparently only have up to 4 characters at a time, I have a couple OC's in there as background.


Dream prompt! A bumbleby in which Yang challenges Blake in the gym and totally gets her butt kicked. Bonus points if bullying is included somehow.

I dreamed it out before I wrote it out! XD Hope you enjoy my fluffiness with a serious lack of depression that was included in my last bumbleby. Feel free to leave me a comment!

-CL

* * *

Beacon was a school of high standards. All of the students were expected to act with strong morals and severe clarity. As the future protectors of Remnant, there wasn't even the smallest wiggle room in the moral standards of the students.

That's what they say, anyway.

But in her first year at Beacon, Yang had seen a vastly different world, a black market of sometimes intense drugs, students using their weapons on unsuspecting others, friends and enemies alike, and plenty of academic dishonesty. Well it wasn't as prominent as she liked to think it was. Actually, it was pretty well under the table. But Yang liked to pretend that the students lived a double life, one of crisp battle-suits and incredibly bright attitudes, the other a dark cesspool of stress-induced bad decisions.

There was one thing all students excelled at without any, uh, 'assistance'. It _was_ a combat school, after all. It sort of went without question that every student there was absolutely the best in fighting. (Not _everyone._ Jaune was still a bit lacking.)

Yang loved the challenge. Every day she picked a fight with someone new. Aurora from Team LARL (laurel), who's semblance was the deflection- the ability to deflect all shots sent her way. Cocoa from Team CFVY, who's bullheadedness nearly matched Yang's own. Nora of course because who wouldn't want a face-off with a giant electrified hammer?

Today she'd asked Song from Team STAR, whose semblance was pretty fucking cool all things considered. Song's semblance was sinisterly simple. She could put people to sleep by singing a specific melody. How the girl had discovered this semblance was beyond Yang, but it hardly mattered as long as she got to try and fight it. She'd endured it once before, with no memory of the result or even what the melody had sounded like because _damnit!_ it had been a sneak attack.

"Aww come on!" she pleaded. "One of your teammates being sick is a great excuse to get _out_ of the room, not stay in even closer to the sickness!"

"I can't," Song answered shortly. "Arya's ill and I have a responsibility to my teammate. Now please leave us alone." and shut the door in Yang's face.

"Rude," she muttered, turning away grumpily.

A light chuckle behind her had her turning her head sharply. Her partner, Blake, was there leaning against the far wall. Her hand covering her mouth did not stop her quiet laugh from reaching Yang. A wave of annoyance rolled over her, accompanied by a powerful sense of something similar to nerves. Yang always felt that way when Blake was around, although she couldn't pinpoint an exact reason why.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I see you need a sparring partner," Blake intoned in that damn soothing voice of hers. "You know I could certainly use a hand in my punches. What do you say?"

A thrill of nervousness shot through Yang at those words. Somehow, fighting Blake felt wrong. They were partners, meant to fight _together_ as opposed to against each other. But Blake was smirking at her with that stupid face of hers and Yang swore she could see those cats ears twitching under the bow.

"Anything for you, cupcake," she answered with a responding smirk of her own.

…

The gym, or rather the "recreational center" was two separate buildings for good measure, connected by two glass walkways, one on each floor. The first building had the locker rooms, a weight room, a _ballet studio_ of all stupidities, an indoor track, aerobic center, just about every type of sport had a room in this building and not one, but _two_ indoor pools. The second building was entirely for sparring, and had nothing but long empty practice rooms where those with exceptionally dangerous weapons couldn't harm anything other than each other. Beautiful.

Yang stretched one arm over her head, relishing in her freedom now that she donned Ember Celica again. She just hated going without them, and only did it because school uniform codes mandated it. Every time she shut them in her trunk she felt like she was committing the biggest sin. Forget putting them in a public locker room.

"Alright," she said, turning to her partner with her eyes closed lest she get distracted by Blake's false fragility. "I got you a present. One free fighting lesson with a side-order of defeat. Pickup today."

She cracked an eyelid to see Blake's reaction, but her partner was just staring at her straight-faced. "Don't try so hard," she monotoned. "You might convince me to go easy on you."

Yang grinned at her partner in response. This was going to be fun.

They paused for a moment then, sizing each other up. Yang felt a shiver run through her as she looked over her partner's slim body. Blake was deceptively small, skinny arms, frail looking legs. But Yang could appreciate the hard muscles and utter confidence in every iota of her features.

With a battle cry sure to get everybody's attention Yang blasted herself forward, arm ready for a punch. Her punches were her best feature in her opinion- other than her fucking awesome hair thank you very much. But Blake was always quicker.

Her partner flashed to the side, leaving a smoky copy of herself behind to take the hit. Yang, prepared to hit something with more substance, fell straight through it to hit the ground with all the firepower she usually possessed. She didn't have time to look and see what Blake was doing, just relied on her other senses. A flash of light in the corner of her eye, the sound of air being sliced indicated to her something was coming at her. Blake was fast, but that did not mean Yang wasn't. She threw her fist into the ground, firing off a round from Ember Celica that had her twisting out of the way just as Blake's blade slashed through the air right where she'd been not even a full second before.

From midair Yang fired off four quick rounds in succession at where Blake was. Of course the damn cat faunus flipped out of the way, she just loved to show off. Did she think her acrobatics would distract Yang from her goal of superiority? Cause if so, she was _wrong_.

Yang landed with one knee up, her head bowed so her hair spilled around her. She refused to fight with her hair up because, well, she loved it so much. It was her strength, her source of power. And if anything happened to it in the field, well God help the person who'd hurt it.

She pulled herself to her feet slowly, grinning at where her partner stood readily. Blake cocked an eyebrow at her, smirking. "I thought this was supposed to be a challenge," Blake teased, her eyes looking over Yang with a hint of something that had Yang's blood flowing hot. She loved it when Blake got feisty like this.

Unable to resist the challenge- even though she _knew_ that her partner was just goading her a little –Yang charged again. Blasting forward was pure adrenaline, the kind that Yang practically lived on. This time Blake did not jump out of the way, but stayed, bringing her blade up to block Yang's hit.

The blast from Yang's weapon had them pushed apart. Yang slid back, landing on her feet, a little crouched to absorb the impact rather than allow it blast her across the room. She glared up, both excited and ready to lose her cool any second now. Blake was still standing upright, cool smile in place and weapon ready.

Yang stood upright and walked, circling in like a predator to her prey. Should she attack again or what for her partner to make the move? Blake just stared at her with that would-be bored expression only she was smiling. _Fuck it_ , Yang thought. She was too headstrong not to go for it. Instead of blasting forward though, she just stomped straight up to her partner.

As soon as she was within striking range, Blake went for it. Yang was prepared, ducking every so slightly and bringing her arms up block the hit. She parried, jabbing her thumb in the soft crook of Blake's elbow, a little low the pressure point there, but effective enough. Gambol Shroud clattered to the floor. With a deft twist of her arms, Yang grasped both of Blake's wrists and pinned them up, straight into a rather convenient wall that Yang had not noticed.

Blake's eyes stared into Yang's own, cool and somehow inviting. It would be an understatement to say that a wave rolled over Yang, but rather a wall of arousal slammed into her, tingly in her fingertips, molten in her abdomen. She became aware then just how close their faces were, how smooth Blake's skin was and her lips were moist because Blake always overused her chapstick.

Her partner's eyes flicked down. Was Blake checking her out? The sly smile that took over Blake's features did not help Yang's explosive mind from way overthinking things. Blake took a step forward, bringing her heel down on Yang's foot, which you know, ouch. With a snap of her arms, Blake ripped herself free of Yang's grip and shoved, sending Yang sprawling back onto the floor.

Yang gaped up at her partner, trying to hide her bewildered expression. The tension of whatever had just _not_ happened between her and her partner was still thick in the air, heavy and draping. If Blake noticed, she didn't say anything. In fact the black-eared faunus looked more relaxed now than she had before. She offered Yang her hand, which Yang took absentmindedly.

"I must be real tired," Yang thought aloud without meaning to.

Blake cocked an eyebrow at her which _oh god_. "Or you're not as good as you think you are."

Yang grinned in response because she couldn't help herself. Blake was teasing her again, _challenging_ her again. Yang longed to accept, to keep fighting, to slam her partner back into that wall and-

Nope. Not happening. She must really be worn out.

"No, I mean it," she said, trying to hide her smile under a serious face and failing spectacularly. "I think I'm feeling a little…weird."

Blake's teasing face turned to one of concern. "Do you need to go to the health center?"

"No no," Yang said, raising her arms in the universal gesture of innocence. "I think I'd like to get some food maybe. And probably some rest will do me some good."

She could tell her words were not entirely convincing to her partner, but Blake did not argue.

As the duo made their way back to the changing room in the other building, Yang thought about her options. Truth was she was still pretty aroused and she kinda wanted to take care of that- despite how awkward it was that it was totally about her partner, Yang was not one to dodge around that kind of stuff. That would require getting away from her partner for a length of time.

"I think I'm gonna take a shower," she said casually as they entered the room. "Don't wait up."

"Actually," Blake said in a low voice that made Yang's heart pound in her ribcage. "I was thinking the same thing."

Yang started. All of the bathrooms and changing rooms at Beacon were communal, which sucked because it offered zero privacy all the time. At least in the dorm showers there were stalls so you had some semblance of privacy. But the showers in the gym changing rooms were communal showers, without so much as privacy walls between showerheads. Because this was such a well-known fact, most of the students avoided showering there. Perfectly private if no one was around.

"But you hate water!" she exclaimed, as if that would convince Blake to not shower with her because well she couldn't exactly get off in the public shower if Blake was _there_.

Blake whirled so she was walking backwards, eyebrow raised, eyes cool, mouth raised in a smirk. "And you don't?"

 _Oh god._ Yang froze, gaping after her partner open-mouthed and eyes popping while she disappeared into the shower room. No, no way. Blake was not _flirting_ with her. She had to get herself under control _now_.

Yang set the water as hot as it would go, threw her mane of hair up in a ponytail, and let the water drip down her back. She was careful not to get any of her hair wet. Blake was sort of right about her hating the water. It was always a bitch to wash, dry, and comb her hair, so she avoided doing it except for designated wash days (usually scheduled around her combat class). Standing in the hot stream of water, as far away from her partner as she could be, was the perfect time for Yang to think.

Now that she had identified that static feeling she got whenever she was around Blake, Yang had a hard time believing she had not been able to identify it before. Maybe it was because Blake was just not her type. Usually Yang went for people as energetic as she was. Her relationships were always explosive, passionate, intense. Not lasting, but quick. Blake just wasn't those things. Calm, cool. Passionate, sure, but not energetic. There was a current that flowed from her straight through Yang though. Slow and electrical. Building with time.

Oh god, had she always found Blake hot?

The partners finished their showers at different times, but _of course_ Blake waited for her. Not like the cat faunus had anything _better_ to do. So Yang found herself walking down the well-worn path to the caf side-by-side to her partner. There was a sort of awkward tension in the air, a sense of something that should be said. It was probably Yang's imagination. Truth was, she was just not someone to let this kind of thing slide. It was in her bullheaded nature to go straight for the shit. She'd scored her first date ever that way. She could still remember the terrified look on the poor lad's face. Yang had had a lot less experience confronting these emotions even back then.

But this was _Blake_. Her partner. Not someone she could possibly escape in the next four years if things went sour. So she would just have to make sure things didn't go sour, right? She sighed. This was going to need to be handled…delicately.

"So Blake," she said and immediately cursed herself up and down inside her head. Damn she sounded so wound up. _Calm down dumbass_ she thought to herself.

"Hmm?" Blake hummed without looking up from her scroll.

"I was thinking…I hear there's this Mistralean place in town with, like, the _best_ seafood. You like salmon, don't you? I can order us some. They supposedly deliver to the school. Blake?" she asked when her partner didn't answer.

But Blake wasn't listening. She had stopped walking and was glaring in the direction where a small crowd had gathered. Yang narrowed here eyes to see better, curious as to what would interrupt her perfect moment.

It was Sky and Russel, from Team CRDL. Not long into the first semester Yang had learned to hate them and their treatment of their classmates. She wondered who their victim would be this time.

This time it was Luna from Team LARL. The little faunus girl with goat horns sticking out of her head. Yang had always thought they were rather cool. Apparently Team CRDL did not feel the same.

"Look at them," Sky was laughing. "They jut out of her head like antlers. They're so stupid!"

"And _ugly_ ," Russel added, his cackle joining in.

Luna took a step back as if to escape. "Where you going, goat-breath?" Sky sneered in mock innocence. "We just wanted a look!" He reached his hand out as if to grab her horn.

"No!" Luna screeched, clenching her eyes shut. "Don't _touch_ me!" Her eyes flew open, glowing bright green that Yang recognized as danger even from this distance.

She practically flew, able to keep up with Blake for once as they both charged forward. Yang dove, tackling Sky straight off his feet. She didn't have to look to know that Blake had done the same for Russel.

A blinding flash of light came from where Luna had been standing. Yang squeezed her eyes shut and shoved Sky down as far as she could, covering him with her body. She felt a tickle against her back and her hair flew forward with the force of the wind.

Then it was over. She sat up nervously, leaning back to put distance between herself and the bully. Sky did not so much as say 'thank you', just scrambled to his feet and took off running, yelling wordlessly. Russel followed suit.

"Luna!" Blake exclaimed, crawling quickly towards where the faunus girl had collapsed on the ground. "Luna, are you okay?"

Luna moaned, opening her golden eyes a fraction.

Yang looked at her partner determinedly. "I'll get help," she said. She needed have worried. As she got to her feet, she heard a familiar voice calling from across the yard where Beacon West Hall was located.

"Luna!" It was Lazuli the leader of Team LARL, followed by Aurora and Raylin. They were running towards them now. Lazuli was tall, and was able to hold her much smaller teammate easily. "What happened?"

"Sky Lark and Russel Thrush were- "

"Ugh, those bullies?" Raylin groaned. "Every time one of them decides to pick on her she comes back more frazzeled than the last."

"Did they do anything to her?" Aurora asked, concern thick in her voice.

"Well they were making fun of her," Blake answered angrily. "And they reached out to touch her and she just kinda…went off."

Lazuli exchanged a glance with her teammates. "I'm not surprised," Aurora murmured as she brushed a strand of hair out Luna's face. "She was due to have a meltdown at some point. She's been real stressed with school and it doesn't help that they're always picking on her."

"We've got it from here," Lazuli said abruptly, voice ringing with authority. "You two can go now."

"Thank you for looking after her," Raylin added, smiling at them warmly.

"No problem," Yang answered as they rose to their feet.

"Take care, okay?" Blake said automatically.

"Yeah, and if we see any of CRDL, we'll give them a punch for ya!" Yang added with a wink.

The two had gotten as far as the pillars before Blake looked back. Yang was not concerned. Luna sometimes had these meltdowns of hers where she couldn't contain the energy of her aura from stress or fear or anger. Yang knew better than anyone what that felt like.

No she was more concerned for her partner. Blake took bullying very seriously, especially where her fellow faunus were concerned. Even if she wasn't involved directly, it was a very personal thing to her.

Also the timing had been pretty bad. What a way to score a date!

Blake's golden eyes bore into Yang's own purple, and she realized she'd been staring for an inappropriate amount of time. "Uh, sorry…" she began, but cut off as her partner stretched forward to brush her lips against Yang's cheek. It wasn't a real kiss. Not even half a kiss. Maybe a quarter of a kiss. But Yang was still flying high, because if kisses were in monetary value, she'd be a quarter lien richer!

"Salmon sounds great," Blake said with an additional wink that made Yang feel like cheering, fist pump and all.

Yang smirked. "Anything for you, cupcake."


End file.
